Switzerland

Swiss consumers asked to choose between chick culling and DP poultry

Animal welfare

Study shows that the price is still an issue as the local market offers only organic DP alternatives

Posted on Jan 22 ,12:30

Researchers from Zurich Universty's Institute of Agricultural Sciences have recently examined the willingness of Swiss consumers to pay and the acceptance of dual-purpose (DP) eggs and chicken on the local market. The study was conducted as ethical concerns around male chick culling are rising in the EU area, informs Poultry Science journal.

The survey was conducted on 402 consumers at 8 supermarkets, results showing that the practice of chick culling was unknown to 75% of the respondents. The DP alternative was preferred to chick culling but the willingness to pay for DP products was proportionally lower for chicken than for eggs, probably because of the different price elasticity between these products, shows the final conclusions of the survey.

Another argument consists in offering a limited alternative of organic DP eggs and chicken for the Swiss consumers. A pilot project was initiated on Swiss market in 2014 in order to promote organic DP alternatives. As a result, dual-purpose eggs cost 24% more than regular organic eggs, which in turn cost 41% more than conventional eggs.

The market for organic DP eggs is a niche in Switzerland, representing only 0.4% from the organic egg market but the country may adopt a ban on chick culling or a strategic turnover in the future, following the example of Austria. The discussion is focused on greater ethical value and animal-welfare standards but the awareness of this issues within Swiss consumers is still low, as the study revealed.

The report concluded that a combination of the dual-purpose alternative with an organic label was recommended in order to respond the ethical concerns developed in the region.

(Photo source: Flickr/USDA)

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